TheBanyanTree: Thump, Thump, Thump

[Russ Doden]

There is a car in the parking lot in front of the building I’m in.  The
driver leaves the radio on for his passengers while he goes in to the tag
agency next door.  The radio is playing Latino music.  A strong low
frequency beat with a higher pitched mass of voices doing the Spanish
speaking vocals emanates from the car.   It isn’t much of a distraction, but
it is noticeable.  The song ends and another song takes its place.  The
passenger turns the volume up.  I can clearly hear the music inside the shop
where I’m sitting.  No one seems to pay any attention to the “sounds”
radiating from the car.  I find myself starting to get a little on edge.



Soon the driver comes out and the car leaves leaving a noticeable quiet in
the parking lot.  Not for long though.  Another car pulls in, also with
speakers pumping out sounds.  This time it is rap with a strong “thump,
thump, thump” vibrating from the car.  I can’t understand the lyrics but I
can hear the voices of the rappers.  The sounds continue on, getting louder
and more annoying.  I think they are only annoying because of the vibrations
that are produced by the strong base line - “thump, thump, thump”.  Soon a
group of young people are standing around visiting.  In order to hear each
other, they have to speak loudly.  Then someone turns the volume of the CD
player in the car up even louder.  “THUMP, THUMP, THUMP” with a mash of
noise mixed in – every once in a while a word will be clearly heard through
the base line.  As often as not, the words heard include obscenities.  This
is music?  I guess to some it is.  Soon a patrol car swings into the parking
lot, just making its routine rounds.  The radio gets turned down instantly,
the group scatters and comparative silence returns to the parking lot.  Once
again I can hear traffic on the street and the voices of children whose
parents are getting something done next door.



I am left sitting and wondering, “Am I getting old?”  Way back when, back in
the 60’s, I played my music loud and I’m sure annoyed the people in the
area.  I still like to “Crank it up” once in a while at home or sometimes
even in the car.  Not so loud as to drown out the sound of sirens on
emergency vehicles but still much louder than necessary.  I usually only do
hat for one song though.  Two at the most, then it gets turned back down to
a comfortable level.



What happened to my love of playing “my” music and listening to the “thump,
thump, thump” that went with it?  What happened to the young man that
enjoyed going down the road with the windows open, radio blaring the latest
Beatles or Doors, or Iron Butterfly, or Santana, or whoever I was into at
the moment?  When did Celtic music replace hard rock?  When did Classical
music replace “acid rock”?  When did I change?   I can’t really fault the
people for listening to their music.  I did the same thing – and often heard
“Turn that noise down” from the oldsters.  I refuse to be an oldster.  I may
be getting older but I refuse to be one of those who can’t remember their
own days of turning the radio up and listening to the “thump, thump, thump”
vibrating through my body.  I just have to remind myself to not get upset at
what they enjoy listening to  I don’t want to be one of he “old people” that
get upset like the old people did when I was young and I was listening to my
music.


-- 
Take things one day at a time
IF that is too much go 1 hour at a time
If that is too much, go 1 minute at a time
Miracles come one minute at a time.